Coffin attachment



(No Model.) i

S. 0. GROVER.

OOFFIN ATTACHMENT.

Patented July 6, 1886.

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SUSAN O. GROVER, F GRANVILLE, OHIO.

COFFlN ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 34%,901, dated July 6, 18186.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SUSAN 0. GROVER, a citizen' of the United States, residing at Granville, in the county of Licking, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in devices' secured in the interior of coffins to frustrate the efforts of persons who, from motives of eupidity, attempt to remove corpses from their graves; and the objects of my improvements are to provide a device so inexpensive as to be within reach of mourners of limited means, and so simple as to be understood by all undertakers and capable of being applied in very few minutes to any coffin. I attain th-ese objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top view of a coffin provided with a corpse-fastening device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 represents the fastening device upon a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one end of a metal strap provided with a link of modified form from that in Fig. 3.

The coffin A may be of any desired form. The keeper B is to be secured by screws either to the bottom or rather low down the sides of the coffin, so that when the fastening device is applied at the waist of the corpse it can be covered b v the draperies and by the arms of said corpse. In Fig. 1 one ofthe arms of the corpse is bent downward partly under the body simply to show the keeper B secured to the side of the coffin, but usually the arms are laid over the keeper and fastening device.

The keeper B consists of a piece of metal either cast or stamped of sheet metal, and bent and slotted for the reception and retention of one end of a metal strap, G, or the ends of a suitable size wire. rlhis keeper is provided with two feet, b, having perforations to receive screws, by which it can be secured to the side or to the bottom of the coffin in position adjacent to that occupied by the neck, waist, or feet of a corpse when occupying said coffin. The central portion of the keeper is elevated sufficiently above the feet b for the introduction of the ends of the lingers of a person to direct the end of the metal strap the arch, but the side ribs, 1 and 3, are

slightly bent down below the level of the body of said arch, to permit the end of the metal strap C to be passed first above the rib 3, un-

der the rib 2, around the rib l, and back above the rib 3, so that on account of the rigidity found in bends made on hoop-ironor metallic straps a permanent connection is made be` tween said strap and the keeper by bending its end only once and bringing it back parallel to its body. The opposite end of the strap is either made wider than the body of the strap and slotted transversely at c2, as shown in Fig. 3, or can carry a link, G2, Fig. 1.1-, to permit the end of the strap to be passed through and form therewith a slip noose capable of surrounding a body at any desired point, and that will clasp it still more tightly if it is pulled upon, as in attempting to remove the body secured to the coffin by the means.

I am aware that cofiius have been provided with eorpseretaining devices consisting of standards provided with a slot and secured to the bottom of the coffin, in combination with a leather strap passing through said slots and a buckle uniting the ends of said leather strap; and also that narrow bands of sheet metal have been placed over many parts of a corpse, and that the ends of said bands have been bolted to the bottom of a coffin to retain a body against displacement or removal; and I do not claim these devices.

Vhat I claim as my invention i s- In combination with a coffin and a metal strap adapted to pass around and secure a body, a strap-sccurer consisting ofthe keeper B, having feet b, and elevated above said feet a substantially flat arch having two parallel slots, b2, and three ribs, the middle rib being elevated above the arch and the two outer ribs being depressed below said arch ,whereby the metallic strap is adapted to have its end interwoven between the ribs of the keeper and retained thereby, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I a'fiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: SUSAN O. GROVER.

FA'NNIE M. GREEN, A. E. Roenes.

IOO 

